Hey, what is happening everybody? It is a Monday, November 21st and welcome to the show.

Fantastic weather here today in Los Angeles. It's been beautiful all weekend.

Did a lot of shows. Did three on Saturday. Comedy store in the last factory. Did a couple on Friday.

Just been grinding out there. It's been nice to be home for a couple of weeks now from the Marcus King tour.

Speaking of that, my guest today, continuing with the Marcus King Diary.

Last week I had Jason Roberts on the tour bus driver and thank you for all the kind words on that episode.

I enjoyed it. I knew you guys were. It's always cool to have a behind the scenes look at the touring life of musicians and the people that work and keep that machine going.

So thank you for digging in on that. Today is the second guitar player in the Marcus King band Drew Smithers.

Now Marcus for years was the only guitar player in the band and then he put out young blood, which is his incredible newest record that's very heavily rock and roll.

Influenced in you know instead of the kind of R&B soul rock. This one's more three piece punch in the face.

Rock and roll and I guess he decided. I know he decided on it, but you know he wanted to have a second guitar player and he was talking to Drew.

About working together for years and it finally came together and I tell you what man it is a perfect combination of the two players.

And now we just have what I would you know think to be one of the greatest touring rock and roll bands out there.

You are not going to see something at this level. I mean it's very special. It's up there with to me the Southern Harmony, Amorica, or Black Rose.

It's up there with the classic Almond Brothers lineup. It's that good in my mind and that is no bullshit.

And I got to say it is as I listen back to editing this podcast last night I was doing it.

It just I kind of teared up a little bit because these guys we were all thrown together on this tour and we became this incredible family.

And we bonded like crazy. And on this Thanksgiving week it really it really it means a lot to me that I was part of this tour and this family that Marcus has put together.

And I'm still blown away I'm still taking it all in it's been a few weeks and I'm just I'm glad I've got these recordings these podcasts because I listen to them and I go like this one I recorded it like 10 days into the tour and I was listening to it and going oh my god that's so cool.

We were there oh this was happening it's just it's going to take a long time for all the memories to roll through my brain and just be like oh wow what what what an epic tour and what a great guy drew is and a fantastic player oh my god.

These these players are let me tell you I put together bands in my lifetime you put the fucking ads out on the telephone poles and the music stores and the the publications looking for guitar player with pro attitude and pro gear.

Must look good long hair a must at least the old ads you know you put the ads out it's how it used to go and then you'd be like audition on Saturday and like five guys would come down and and let's be honest you kind of knew.

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